Silver Spitfire

[Jonny]

According to today’s (15 September) ‘Daily Telegraph’, “two British enthusiasts” are planning to fly a polished silver Spitfure IX round the world, departing next summer and hoping to arrive home by Christmas.

 

According to the Dally Telegraph the Spitfire is MJ271, currently owned by the Boultbee Flight Academy.  It’s history includes service with 118 squadron in 1944, then with 401 squadron based at Volkel before being transferred to the Dutch airforce in 1947.  After that it was taken over by a war museum in Delfzijl, then in 1973 it went to the Fokker Technical School, then to the Aviodome then at Schipol.  In 2003 it went to Leylstad before being bought by Historic Flying and brought ‘home’ to Duxford.  Boultbee bought in 2006.

 

I’m sure I saw this airframe at the Aviodome, then at Schipol, when it was in Dutch markings, as H23 probably back in 1976.  I saw it at Duxford when it seemed in a sorry state.   After rectification work, including removal of all pain’t work and being polished it will start its round-the-world trio in 2019 registered as G-IRTY.

 

Looking at the planned route provided by the Daily Telegraph I see it goes from the UK over the Atlantic to the USA,  then to Russia, India, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Austria, France and then home.  There will be a PC-12 chase plane.

 

Some oroject but I can’t help wonder if it’s sensible to hazard a restored airframe,.  The paper says it will have a “new engine and ‘slight’ modifications such as extra fuel ranks, improved avionics and some modern safety gear”.  The paper says “of course, there'll be no weaponry”.

 

Interesting!!